BLOG: Temporary Foreign Worker Program under microscope as Kenney, Finley meet with stakeholders

OTTAWA — Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and Human Resources Minister Diane Finley quietly kicked off a series of stakeholder consultations on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in Ottawa Wednesday with an aim to improving the problem-plagued regime by the end of the year.

While the government insists consultations have been ongoing for some time, the pressure was on to step it up and make real changes late last year after it came to light that a British Columbia coal mine was granted permission to hire 201 temporary Chinese migrants. The plan was ultimately halted following widespread outrage over the lack of effort put into finding Canadian workers to do the same job.

Canadian pilots have also complained about the program, saying Charter airlines are hiring foreign pilots for the busy sun destination seasons at the expense of unemployed and underemployed Canadian pilots.

Critics have raised concerns about the over-reliance on temporary foreign workers, about 191,000 of whom came to Canada in 2011. Concerns have also been raised about the treatment of temporary foreign workers by Canadian employers and the government which recently announced foreign workers could be paid 15 per cent less than Canadians and cut “special” parental, maternity and compassionate-care benefits to some migrant workers

Wednesday’s meeting included representatives from unions, industry associations as well as migrant worker advocates.

Postmedia News obtained a copy of the backgrounder and agenda.

Here’s the problems ultimately identified by the government during previous consultations:

I cover justice, immigration and public safety issues as part of the Postmedia News politics team. I also keep tabs on what the official Opposition — the NDP — is up to in the House of Commons.
Before... read more coming here I spent several years in Montreal and Toronto with The Canadian Press covering provincial politics and major crime and court stories. I also helped cover the war in Afghanistan from inside and outside the wire.
I previously worked for the Ottawa Sun chasing crime stories and following convicts through the court system.
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